Ippin Café and Bar Review [Media Invite]

Ippin Café
and Bar is one of the eateries among the mini enclave mix of Japanese and
Chinese food spots, a little hidden from the main road behind UE Square. Set up by a Japanese father-daughter team, they do also devote a good section to selling imported
Japanese foodstuffs and drinks apart from the cafe menu. Think along the lines of Japanese sakes,
different kinds of miso in tubs and dressing condiments. The daughter is the chef behind the food items.The place also offers free wifi.

The store has a shelf selling flavoured nuts called Rattsu. These were crunchy and pretty addictive. We liked the strawberry one best.

Their new
oyster-themed menu feature set menu items, of which oysters imported from Hiroshima prefecture are the main stars. You can get oysters in a few variations: fried, grilled or with udon noodles. Prices on the menu are nett.

Deep Fried Oysters Set ($24)

The Deep
Fried oysters set ($24) contains succulent, juicy oysters encased within a thin soft
batter. The oysters still retained its juiciness despite it being deep fried. It was my favoured oyster variation among the sets.

Grilled Oyster & Veggies in Ponzu Butter Sauce Set ($20)

The grilled oysters and veggies in ponzu butter seemed a bit too dry
though. The ponzu butter barely seemed to make a presence apart from
imparting a slight tinge of sourness to the oysters.

Both sets
include a nikujuga pork stew as a side. The comforting stew contains potatoes,
carrots and slices of thinly sliced pork shabu. It is tasty enough to stand on
its own as a dish.

Miso Udon Noodle with Oyster Set ($15)

The stock is made from the red miso that is also stocked in the shop for sale. It seemed to be a more concentrated take of the stock from the nikujuga stew. The udon noodles were more flat than the usual round ones and less thick than we expected. Order this only if you are not getting any of the sets that come with the side of the stew, otherwise, you will find the tastes not differing very much .

OyakudonIppin’s
take on the classic dish of Oyakudon fares ok here. It came piping hot and was
a nice combination of chicken and egg on rice. The soup stock used was just
alright, but overall, it is good enough to satisfy any craving for a decent
Oyakudon.

Ippin also does have a good selection of sakes and beers, which are rather good judging from the few we tasted. The yuzu pudding we were served at the end was very refreshing and delightful in its wobbly consistency too.

Yuzu Pudding

Overall,
the flavours presented here seem to be reminiscent of Japanese home cooked meals. The food items offered are more like the classic everyday fare of the Japanese than the restaurant bentos and dons we are more accustomed to from Japanese chains here. For those who drink, the drinks would be more of a draw.